Africa's largest island nation, Madagascar is entering a new era in its energy sector this week as it welcomes a significant shipment of diesel at the port of Toamasina. The arrival of the tanker Sunda 1, which traveled from China, marks the official end of a 25-year period where a small group of private companies held exclusive control over the nation’s oil product imports.
Energy Minister Radonirina Lucas Rabearimanga delivered a speech at the port facility to mark the occasion, in the speech the minister emphasized the importance of this policy shift.
For the first time, the Malagasy government has taken direct responsibility for procuring fuel, effectively dismantling an arrangement that gave a group of private firms, including TotalEnergies SE, the sole rights to run import tenders.
A change in oil and energy control
The transition away from private control was made possible through new legislation that allows the government to take over the fuel importation function.
